Cloth Diaper Help!

I am a big fan of FuzziBunz and BumGenius diapers, especially as kids get older. I don't think too many people are unhappy with these diapers as they are easy to use and to clean. For a newborn, though, I'd be more likely to try prefolds with a Bummis whisper wrap cover just because its so much cheaper and babies need to be changed so often. Also babies grow quickly so it didn't seem worth the investment to buy a whole bunch of small Fuzzibunz (though at least the BumGenius will grow with the baby). I know some people swear by Kissaluvs for newborns - they are tiny and super soft and fold down for the umbilical cord.

I would get a variety of newborn/small sizes so you can check them out and see what you like best. I would wait to buy a whole bunch of anything (except about a dozen or so prefolds) because its hard to know what you'll like best and what will fit your baby the best.

Good luck - I love cloth diapering. You just need to find the system that works best for you.

B.
Momma to a toddler and baby #2 in April

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Hi A.-
You probably won't use cloth diapers until the baby is about 3-4 weeks old. The baby has to get through the stage that their poop is like tar otherwise you'll ruin the cloth diapers. And then once you're through that stage you might want to wait a little longer because they seriously poop and pee all the time until their about 4 weeks. If you're looking for an earth friendly alternative to fill in the gap you can get bio-degradable disposable diapers which they have at Target. Target is the only store that carries these diapers. The brand name is Nature babycare and they're on an end cap. Not all Targets carry the brand. The only Target that I know that carries them is the one off of Central. But you could always call Target and you can ask them what stores carry the brand. Oh, the diapers are made out of corn by a woman in Sweden.
Okay, back to cloth diapers. We started with Kissuluvs size 0 until our baby was 10-11pds. Kissuluvs are nice because they don't leak around the legs. With the Kissuluvs you need a cover and an insert. The Kissuluvs get wet very quickly, that's why we bought extra inserts. We continue to use the inserts with the diapers we have now. After Kissuluvs we went right to BumGenius which I think are fabulous!! They are soooo convenient and it's the last cloth diaper we'll ever buy because they fit from 5-30 pds. We bought the BumGeniuses before they had the newborn inserts which they just started in Jan. 08. (They now have 4 adjustable sizes instead of 3 and they have two different sizes of inserts.) I'm not sure if having the newborn insert would make the diaper leak resistant when the babes are so little but I know that the Bums I have wouldn't have worked when my daughter was a newborn.
As for buying a variety of brands, I don't think there is any point. I think Fuzzibunz are really a nice brand, however you have to buy different sizes for each weight category and they are just as expensive as BumGenius.
I'm not sure if you've gone to a store that sells the cloth diapers but Peapods in St. Paul is great. They are very helpful and are experts on the cloth diapers.
Let me know if I can help any further.
And if you're wondering how many to buy. We had 25 kissuluvs and washed every 2-3day. We have 13 bumgenius and wash every 2.5 days. The first 3 months the baby poops almost everytime you feed them (8-10 times a day)if not in between feedings but once they are around 4 months feedings get further apart and you'l probably only feed 6-8 times per day and change 6-8 times per day. My daughter is 6 months and we change her 5 times per day, after every feeding.
Hope this is helpful. If you buy at Peapods you can always exchange the diapers as long as you haven't washed them.
Blessing!

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There are many, many cloth diapering systems! It's a matter of personal choice -- and the size of your wallet. FuzziBunz-style diapers are quite easy to use, but are also quite expensive. Many people I know buy a dozen or so FuzziBunz to start out, and use them for night and for "going out". They supplement with the cheaper prefolds. AS your baby grows, you will figure out if you want to spend the $$ for more FuzziBunz or do something different. If you do purchase prefolds, don't get them from a retail store. Get real "Chinese prefolds" because they are far superior. You can buy them online or in a specialty baby store. For covers, I love wool, but again, they're pricey. You only need 2 to get by. I've also used a few plastic covers, and my favorite has been the Motherease brand. I find I need about 4 plastic covers if I'm using mostly prefolds.

About using special diapers for the umbilical cord issue -- prefolds might work, or maybe just a package of disposables in size newborn. I would definitely NOT spend the money to buy any "newborn"-sized cloth diapers.

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I used cloth diapers with my second child and did a lot of research as well. My suggestion would be to check into getting a 'intro' or sample package of any brands you are considering, because every baby is different and you can't know if a brand will work for you and your baby b/c it did for someone else-order before birth so you can wash twice and dry. However, I tried mother-ease's intro pack-loved the diaper and wrap. I bought most of my diapers from kissaluvs-did the fitted ones, and they were great, and bummis wraps. I personally liked mother-ease's wraps best, less bulk. Also, once your baby gets bigger, to be practical you will need liners in all diapers and the big liners for nightime or they'll soak the whole diaper. Also, I did the dry method-it worked great for us, b/c I only bought like 12-15 diapers, so I had to wash them every couple days-and sometimes they've sat but I have a cosco cheap diaper bin and it's worked great. I did use some disposables when my baby was little, and then bought sz 1's because for the weight range I knew she could wear them until she was pretty much potty trained. Money was a factor, I guess, so I didn't buy sz 0 b/c they won't wear most brand sz 0 for long- and if you're doing cloth for environmental reasons-you can find friendlier disposables to get you to sz 1, like 7th generation or more expensive brands that are biodegradable or to supplement if you're not going 'all out'!

Good luck and best wishes,
Jess
mother of 2 girls: 1 and 3 yrs.

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Hi A....

I would LOVE to expound on this subject for you. I really love my cloth diapers and will sing their praises to anyone who will listen, literally. They are the best.

I have two boys, a 2.5 year old and a 5 month old. I've cloth diapered them 100% from the very beginning, even while traveling. I use cloth wipes too (they are so much easier & nicer than the disposable ones). I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but going cloth is better for their little buns, the world around us, and your pocketbook as well. I am always shocked that more people don't use them (only...they aren't available at "regular" stores...so unless people are online or "know" someone, they're SOL).

Anyway...I used regular pre-fold cloth diapers from the very start with the Super Bummi Whisper Wrap. I have friends who did Fuzzibunz and Kissaluvs and the like, but when it comes right down to it, regular cotton diapers are 1) easier to clean, 2) less expensive, and 3) you can use them as rags when you're done. I have friends who invested in the fancier ones (micro-fiber types) who have regretted that decision, and wished they had gone with cotton. Like I said...easier to clean. The micro-fibers tend to stink and need to be stripped more often. Don't think you need to use diaper pins on cotton pre-folds, either - use a Snappi (they're the best!).

As far as newborns go, I would say it probably did take longer for the umbilical cord to fall off, because it is harder to keep completely dry. Frequent changings and attention to the area with drying agents like rubbing alcohol or witch hazel helps.

Finally...the Night Diaper. I have friends who use cloth who still use disposables at night, which is totally unnecessary with WOOL diaper covers. They are water resistant. They do need to be hand-washed and re-lanolized now and then (using Lanisoh), but it really isn't a big deal. Seriously: nothing to be scared of. They are somewhat expensive, but I can imagine using disposables at night would surpass the cost of just buying wool covers off the bat. You only need 2 of each size, to make sure one is always clean and ready to go. I have 6 total.

A great site for info and supplies is www.greenmountaindiapers.com. I bought my pre-folds off of www.clothdiaper.com - so easy, because they have packages. I got the grande package, I believe. 3 sets of different sized diapers covers (6 of each) and "all the diapers you need up to 30 lbs". I found this to be true: my 2.5 year old wore them until he was potty-trained.

Finally...I have lots of information on this and other diaper details on my blog, if you're interested -www.raingarden.blogspot.com - go to labels and click on "cloth diapering".

Good luck and congratulations on your little one. You're gonna love it. =)

S.

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I have used cloth diapers with both of my children and loved them. I used prefolds for the first month or two (on my first) and because my second was smaller, I used them for the first three or so. Prefolds are easer to fit a newborn (although I did have more leaks with them). Then I used Motherease Diapers and Wraps. I have loved them because they are adjustable to the size of the child so I used the same set from month two or three until potty trained. I basically never have leaks because you can adjust the leg and waist width with the plasic snaps.

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I LOVE Bum Genius. I think they are much better than Fuzzi Bunz (I've used both). The Bum Genius one-size fits all are a big money saver too because they fit 8-35 lbs. I found that the fuzzy bunz were soft and comfortable, but they wicked pee on to my baby's pants all the time. As far as newborn diapers, I would use the prefolds until the cord falls off...you might even want to use disposables for the first week until your baby passes all the meconium. It is very sticky and hard to clean and you'll be exhausted too:). As far as wraps, I like the Bummi's Super Whisper wraps the best. Pro-Wraps work well too, especially for newborns. Good Luck!

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We cloth-ing #2 (due june 2), but we didn't cloth #1. I ended up getting a big stash of BumGenius one-size from a friend on the cheap, but I don't think they'll fit initially (our son was tiny at birth). I got some prefolds & covers (ended up with a couple of Bummis, the super whisper wraps & super brites, plus a couple of Thirsties), but ended up getting a bunch of Kissaluvs 0s from the Kissaluvs online outlet too (you can sign up for stocking notices & get decent deals). A friend & I did a "how much pee would a Kissaluv hold" test to see if a newborn would *require* covers, and it holds almost a cup of pee so I was sold seeing as most newborns don't pee that much at a time.

I've found that most people get a variety to see what they like best & then go from there. I think it's mostly a matter of preference, but some people buy based on resale value too. Both bGs and FBs tend to have good resale.

Good luck & congratulations!

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Hi A.! I'm glad to hear that you are going to try cloth diapers. I had made up my mind that I would use fuzzibunz since before my daughter was born. I had researched them and they just seemed the best. Well, I tried a couple of different brands, but fuzzibunz really were the best. I did have some newborn size, but to be honest, I just used disposable the most. The meconium poos do NOT come out well, and they poop so much that I was changing diapers left and right!! Good luck with the cloth diapering and with your new little one. If you have more ?? e-mail me ____@____.com

S.

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Wow- in the last 6 years things have changed! I cd'd all four of my kids (ages 12, 11, 8 and 8) and while there were several types of nifty diapers coming out in that market, I kept going back to good old fashioned unfolded diapers. They were lightweight, I could fold to any shape I needed, grew with them, and very easy to clean. I ended up buying more later just to use as tortilla cloths (or lefse)when I make them.
I did find that the nylon covers were definitely better than anything Plastic... as that just kept the moisture in and really created problems with rashes.
Like someone else said, the nice thing about many good diapers is that you dont need covers for them with infants. The covers did not fit the twins (about 5.5 lbs each or my oldest who was about 7.5 lbs... they did fit my second who was 9 lbs... but otherwise the leg openings are too wide, so no point.
Good luck!
Ps... do you know about Borax Mule Team? It is the best cleaner/ wash additive/ deodorizer I have ever found for these!

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we use prefolds, however, have decided to use bumgenius for on the go. i LOVE bumgenius. the same bumgenius fits our almost 3 month old, and our 2and a half year old toddler (for bedtime).i couldn't believe it until i saw it. we bought hemp inserts for when our toddler wears them to bed, b/c they aren't absorbent enough for her at night. if i could do it over, i would go with the bum genius all the way. congrats. enjoy. and don't be afraid to use disposable if your sanity warrents it for the first month or two, and by then, tne cord will be gone and bumgenius should fit.

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I bought a bunch of different cloth diapers and preferred the BumGenius...They just seemed to fit better, I bought all of my through jillians drawers (you should be able to google it) and they have used diapers and all sorts of advice on there about cloth. It's a great website.
There are also gdiapers that I tried and liked. They are cloth on the outside but flushable insert.
Good luck!

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Hi! I used Mother-Ease for both my kids, saved about a zillion dollars, and the diapers were so soft and nice ... I always felt badly when I had to put a scratchy disposable on the poor little guys. I also used cloth rags to wipe them instead of wipes, and just threw the cloth rags in the wash with the diapers.

Everyone is a little different but I personally wanted everything in perfect order before the baby came, so I would get them ASAP.

You might want to have a package of newborn diapers on hand. We didn't have umbellical cord trouble.

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First, a few local cloth diapering resources here in Des Moines that are worth their weight in gold:

www.wallypop.net - Sarah is wonderful, answers questions, shows examples of different products and how to use them.

www.storkwarehouse.com - similar to Wallypop, good people

www.desmoinesdiaperservice.com - diaper service for those who want cloth diapers made a little easier.

Personal experience: I have 2 daughters, one 11 years and one 13 months. The older one had gerber prefolds and plastic pants complete with actual pins to hold them together. The younger one we use mostly Bumkins covers with prefolds, going back to the prefolds and plastic pants for a night time diaper. With the Bumkins I like the velcro closures at the side that make them easy to adjust, they fit forever, but those simple pull up plastic pants are the best thing I've found for stopping leaks, period.

We used a few other kinds to see what worked, which I believe you'll probably wind up doing, too. We used the newborn diapers with the umbilical cut out for about the first month, but I still think the plain plastic pants were easier there, too. At first babies are so small, it's just tricky to get the diaper on without covering half the baby! We also have some cute pocket diapers, but they did tend to leak if you didn't change them promptly.

My advice would be to get a "sample pack" of diapers and/or covers, many places offer this option. I would also get at least a couple dozen prefolds because they're just so useful no matter what you end up using, and they can hold you over until you decide. Find out what works, and what you prefer to deal with, and keep your partner in mind. My husband wasn't comfortable with diaper pins, although I used them with my first child, so we use snappis to hold the prefolds in place in the pull up pants.

At first diapers of any kind are a little overwhelming; I remember washing loads of diapers and wondering what I was thinking when I committed to cloth diapers. But my daughters almost never have diaper rash without use of any creams (which would make the diaper less absorbent.) Their bottoms get wet, but I think what causes the rash is more the chemicals than the wetness. We found that both of my girls break out if we use disposables for a day or two while we travel, although we have found a few biodegradable, eco-friendly disposables we use for this purpose. My point here is don't give up, if one kind of diaper isn't working for you, try something else. Disposables can't offer that kind of variety, now can they:)

Congratulations on your first, you're gonna love it. Remember, being a Mommy is a natural role but an individual one, so always listen to your gut you'll know what's right for you.

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I use the bumgenius one size diapers, the ones that snap for different sizes and LOVE them! That would be my recommendation.

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We use fuzzibunz and are happy with them. They are expensive though, so I would use prefolds while your baby is little and wait until he/she is in a size pocket diaper that will fit for a while. Besides, with newborns, you will change SO MANY DIAPERS...prefolds are really much more economical. We used unbleached ones...they were nice and thick...with a snappi to close them. Immse Vimse covers are my absolute favorite....soft and fit for a long time. They are awesome. Good luck

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I used fitteds, and fuzzi bunz with my daughter. She was around 14 months when I started to Cloth Diaper. I preferred the fitteds but have a few friends who really like Fuzzi Bunz.

I am due with my 2nd this month and am planning to cloth diaper from the get go. I've never cloth diapered an infant but have talked to those who have. I've heard good things about prefolds. Not to mention it's a cheap way to start your stash and try it out. Infants need so many changes and you need a lot of diapers so I went that route. I also bought a few BumGenius to try them out - I've heard good things about them too and they grow with your child.

So it really depends on preference (and your budget). I've found this site helpful too --- http://www.diaperpin.com/

Also - if you wanted to talk to someone in person - have you heard of the parenting oasis? A lot of the moms that go there have lots of experience and great advice when it comes to cloth diapers. http://parentingoasis.com/?page_id=3

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I just used the plain old white cloth diapers w/ Gerbers rubber pants over them. I also used an insert - supposedly flushable, but I never flushed them - to help keep the wet away from my son's little bottom. If you Google how to wash them, there's some good advice out there about how to wash them - with a little baking soda, etc. My son is 5 now so I can't remember the whole "recipe", but I'm sure I found it on the internet. I didn't use cloth when my daughter was born (shame on me I know) but between work and two children in diapers, I simply couldn't do it anymore.

Anyway - hope that helps. OH -- and I even Googled how to fold them! The internet is a wonderful thing sometimes hey :-)

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I love BumGenius cloth diapers, because they fit a newborn 8 pounds to 35 pounds (potty training).

I might have some used ones to sell you if my daughter is potty trained by May or June.

K. Halvorsen
____@____.com

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When we started cding my youngest was 5 months and my oldest was 20 months, we used (and still do use for my oldest) Happy Heinys. I love them. I got 2 Fuzzi Bunz to try and I hate them. They don't fit on my skinny legged boys and I get leaks and wicking really badly with them. They just released a new style, though, so maybe those are better.

We are due with number 3 in October and I plan to cd pretty much from the beginning using prefolds and maybe some fitteds with some PUL covers (porobably Thirsties, I really like them) and wool. Because babies grow so fast I think prefolds are a better way to go financially. They are cheaper and when they're outgrown they can be kept for future babies without having to worry about elastic deteriorating and when you're done having babies they can be used for rags around the house. My favorite prefolds are the Cloth-eez prefolds from Green Mountain Diapers (greenmountaindiapers.com). They are super absorbant, I have a super soaker and they work great.

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This is one of my very favorite topics!
You have some time to buy a few things and check them out. I would get a few styles of used diapers from diaperswappers.com and see what you like.
Really, BumGenius is amazing, though. Later you may have a child who can easily remove the velcro, unless you don't have children who prefer to be naked all the time. My son learned at 6 months old to get the diaper off.
But with clothes on, he is fine. Snaps are harder to remove.
The issue isn't enough of a problem for me to switch diapers, though.
The one thing that I would change if I have another child is that I would definately buy newborn diapers. Prefolds may work fine for you, for me they don't because my husband insisted that if I do cloth there is no difference in changing a diaper for HIM. You can avoid the stains from the meconium poo by cutting out pieces of fleece and lining the dipes with it. And sunning works great. Since this is your first, it would be worth it to invest in them if you plan on having more. Plus, you can easily sell them on diaperswappers used.

I have been using BumGenius for 16 months and am a huge fan.
Another diaper that I love is Mudpie Babies. They are snaps and you can order extra liners for $8 and just change the liner if there is no poo. (plus the owner is a friend of mine) Tiffani will work hard to make the diaper you want. She even searched out and found a Superman emblem to embroider on the bum for me.
Fuzzy Fannies are great, too. Super soft! Pricey and hard to get, though. She does great embroidery.

And my new favorite. Minky diapers from Blueberry. To die for! I wouldn't pay the price for the longest time, then I saw a minky camo diaper used and bought it. Now I am sold!

Those are all play dipes. It saves on buying shorts, he can run around in fancy dipes and a tank.
But at night it is always a BumGenius.
I have a Happy Heiney, too, but not my favorite. I have a patterned one, and they leak a bit. The inside is soft and they are very easy to stuff. But not good over night.

Look out for the cloth diaper addiction! I was obsessed with them for months on end! So worth it, though. Using cloth gives me a feeling of motherliness that I have not really felt on such a level. Like I am making a difference in their lives, and really loving them. I don't know why. My heart is over flowing with love as I sit and stuff and fold Sam's diapers.

You can always message me with questions, I have a lot of resources if you need more. It sounds like you have done a lot of research already.

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In regards to covers for prefolds, I love bummis - you don't need to use pins or snappis with them but it does leak into the cover and the cover needs to be washed more often than I'd like, but other than that they're great. I personally recommend the newborn size - we used newborn size bummis and they're awesome - we even still put them on him and he is about 14 lbs - they're a little small now but I like things a little small rather than too big (it says 5-8 lbs but they fit way longer than that). I think the small bummis are really only good on 13 lbs +. BumGenius is great, espec. all in one, one size - but I still recommend newborn size for the beginning. I'd recommend just get what you need for the very beginning, and try one or two of the other things to see how you like them and then make the big investment once you decide it is what you want. Fuzzibunz and BumGenius are not cheap. However, the covers and prefolds are fairly cheap as yo only need 4+ covers and the prefolds are cheap. I recommend used diaper-service quality prefolds (we get them from the local diaper service - if they have one in your town, that's the best and cheapest). Hope you find what you want!

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i definitely recommend trying a couple of each kind and waiting until your little one is born. i also would not put a newborn in bumgenius or fuzzi bunz because they're sized. and honestly they'll grow out of them so fast. at about 15 lbs, we started using the medium size fuzzi bunz and these may last until our son is potty trained. for smaller/younger than that, i'd recommend prefolds or fitteds and covers.

i love wool covers and i have some bummis cover (super brites) that work great too.

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Hi A.! First off, congrats using the cloth! You really do feel like you are helping the environment. Secondly, I know you've had tons of responses, but thought I'd throw my 2 cents in... We have a 3 month old. We used disposables in the hospital, but as soon as she was home we used cloth. Luckily, we had a friend who gave us a bunch to start off with. (Little Beetle - needs plastic cover, whole cloth part gets pretty soaked - not our favorite.) We also got a variety at The Stork Wearhouse - www.thestorkwearhouse.com - notice it's "wear". We've tried Bumkins, FuzziBunz, and BumGenius. The BumGenius one size is our favorite! We also use a hemp doubler in addition to the insert, as well as a fleece liner that helps to keep the diaper clean. I even use these at night and with naps! Love them! And super easy to launder. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and the birth of your little one! J.

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I used cloth diapers with my first two children (we just had our 5th in December) so it has been a while and there may be better things out there now, but I used the fuzzy buns and folded a cloth diaper inside so that I could just put the cloth diaper in the wash and reuse the cover for the day before washing it. I wouldn't spend the money on newborn diapers as they are used such a short time. Also, don't feel bad if you use disposables for outings...the convenience is really nice!
Good luck!

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I don't know that I have a lot of experience, I did not use cloth diapers with my first child, but am now with my second. My husband and I have goone with prefolds because it is more economical, if money is not a problem I would probably have gone with something like a one size fits all. I have a good friend who used Fuzzi Bunz but then switched to the new Bum Genius one size diapers and she loves them because she won't have to buy new ones for the next size. She did say that she has a big wetter and uses one disposable diaper at night. I actually do the same thing use one disposable at night and then prefolds during the day. I don't know what to suggest about what would fit your baby best, but I did go to www.diaperpin.com to find what cover to use. I had bought some diaper covers off of ebay and did not like them, so I tried out the two most popular ones (it's a website where moms have rated products) and have been real happy with them.
Hope this helps
H.

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Hi A.,
When I was pregnant with my first child, we were in your same boat---wondering where to start with cloth diapers. I ended up buying a sampler pack through an online company in Montana (not sure the name). It had about 5 different brands in it. This was great for us in choosing the one that we liked the most, which turned out to be fuzzibunz. We were living in Taiwan at the time and there happened to be an expat that was selling them there---so that made it even better. Our daughter used them until she starting teething regularly which was when she was nearing 1 I think. We stopped because she was having consistent loose number twos and it was really hard to get them cleaned. Sun bleaching worked the best for us, but living in a big, humid city with pretty stinky air, made that pretty difficult. Anyway, we're going to give it a go with our 2nd that we expect in August. Best of luck with your decision.
C.

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